Birds Guide

Estrildid Finches
Zebra Finches
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae Bonaparte, 1850
Genera
Many:see text

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae (weaver-finch) or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows.

They are gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have a wide variation in plumage colours and pattern.

All the estrildids build large domed nests and lay 5-10 white eggs. Many species build roost nests Some of the fire-finches and pytilias are hosts to the brood parasitic indigobirds and whydahs respectively.

Most are sensitive to cold and require a warm, usually tropical, habitat, although a few have become adapted to the cooler climates of southern Australia.

Species list

• Antpeckers, genus Parmoptila
  • Jameson's Antpecker, Parmoptila rubrifrons
    Woodhouse's Antpecker, Parmoptila woodhousei
• Negrofinches, genus Nigrita
  • White-breasted Negrofinch, Nigrita fusconota
    Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Nigrita bicolor
    Pale-fronted Negrofinch, Nigrita luteifrons
    Grey-headed Negrofinch, Nigrita canicapilla
• Olivebacks, genus Nesocharis
  • White-collared Oliveback, Nesocharis ansorgei
    Fernando Po Oliveback, Nesocharis shelleyi
    Grey-headed Oliveback, Nesocharis capistrata
• Pytilias, genus Pytilia
  • Orange-winged Pytilia, Pytilia afra
    Red-winged Pytilia, Pytilia phoenicoptera
    Green-winged Pytilia, Pytilia melba
    Red-faced Pytilia, Pytilia hypogrammica
• Green-backed Twinspot, Mandingoa nitidula
• Crimson-wings, genus Cryptospiza
  • Red-faced Crimson-wing, Cryptospiza reichenovii
    Abyssinian Crimson-wing, Cryptospiza salvadorii
    Dusky Crimson-wing, Cryptospiza jacksoni
    Shelley's Crimson-wing, Cryptospiza shelleyi
• Seedcrackers, genus Pyrenestes
  • Crimson Seedcracker, Pyrenestes sanguineus
    Black-bellied Seedcracker, Pyrenestes ostrinus
    Lesser Seedcracker, Pyrenestes minor
• Bluebills, genus Spermophaga
  • Grant's Bluebill, Spermophaga poliogenys
    Western Bluebill, Spermophaga haematina
    Red-headed Bluebill, Spermophaga ruficapilla
• Twinspots, genera Clytospiza, Hypargos, Euschistospiza
  • Brown Twinspot, Clytospiza monteiri
    Peters' Twinspot, Hypargos niveoguttatus
    Pink-throated Twinspot, Hypargos margaritatus
    Dybowski's Twinspot, Euschistospiza dybowskii
    Dusky Twinspot, Euschistospiza cinereovinacea
• Firefinches, genus Lagonosticta
  • Bar-breasted Firefinch, Lagonosticta rufopicta
    Brown Firefinch, Lagonosticta nitidula
    Red-billed Firefinch, Lagonosticta senegala
    Black-bellied Firefinch, Lagonosticta rara
    African Firefinch, Lagonosticta rubricata
    Pale-billed Firefinch, Lagonosticta landanae
    Jameson's Firefinch, Lagonosticta rhodopareia
    Mali Firefinch, Lagonosticta virata
    Rock Firefinch, Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis
    Black-faced Firefinch, Lagonosticta larvata
    Reichenow's Firefinch, Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis
• Cordon-bleus, genus Uraeginthus
  • Blue-breasted Cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus angolensis
    Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus bengalus
    Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
    Purple Grenadier, Uraeginthus ianthinogaster
    Violet-eared Waxbill, Uraeginthus granatina
• Waxbills, genus Estrilda
  • Lavender Waxbill, Estrilda caerulescens
    Black-tailed Waxbill, Estrilda perreini
    Cinderella Waxbill, Estrilda thomensis
    Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Estrilda quartinia
    Swee Waxbill, Estrilda melanotis
    Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Estrilda paludicola
    Anambra Waxbill, Estrilda poliopareia
    Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Estrilda melpoda
    Arabian Waxbill, Estrilda rufibarba
    Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Estrilda rhodopyga
    Black-rumped Waxbill, Estrilda troglodytes
    Common Waxbill, Estrilda astrild
    Black-lored Waxbill, Estrilda nigriloris
    Black-crowned Waxbill, Estrilda nonnula
    Black-headed Waxbill, Estrilda atricapilla
    Black-cheeked Waxbill, Estrilda erythronotos
    Red-rumped Waxbill, Estrilda charmosyna
• Avadavats, genus Amandava
  • Red Avadavat, Amandava amandava
    Green Avadavat, Amandava formosa
    Zebra Waxbill, Amandava subflava
• Quailfinches, genus Ortygospiza
  • Red-billed Quailfinch, Ortygospiza gabonensis
    African Quailfinch, Ortygospiza atricollis
    Locustfinch, Ortygospiza locustella
• Firetails, genera Emblema, Stagonopleura, Oreostruthus, Neochmia
  • Painted Firetail, Emblema pictum
    Beautiful Firetail, Stagonopleura bella
    Red-eared Firetail, Stagonopleura oculata
    Diamond Firetail, Stagonopleura guttata
    Mountain Firetail, Oreostruthus fuliginosus
    Red-browed Firetail, Neochmia temporalis
    Crimson Finch, Neochmia phaeton
    Star Finch, Neochmia ruficauda
    Plum-headed Finch, Neochmia modesta
• Zebra finches, genera Taeniopygia, Poephila
  • Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata
    Chestnut-eared Finch, Taeniopygia castanotis
    Double-barred Finch, Taeniopygia bichenovii
    Masked Finch, Poephila personata
    Long-tailed Finch, Poephila acuticauda
    Black-throated Finch, Poephila cincta
• Parrotfinches, genus Erythrura
  • Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch, Erythrura hyperythra
    Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, Erythrura prasina
    Green-faced Parrotfinch, Erythrura viridifacies
    Tricolored Parrotfinch, Erythrura tricolor
    Blue-faced Parrotfinch, Erythrura trichroa
    Red-eared Parrotfinch, Erythrura coloria
    Papuan Parrotfinch, Erythrura papuana
    Red-throated Parrotfinch, Erythrura psittacea
    Fiji Parrotfinch, Erythrura pealii
    Red-headed Parrotfinch, Erythrura cyaneovirens
    Royal Parrotfinch, Erythrura regia
    Pink-billed Parrotfinch, Erythrura kleinschmidti
• Gouldian Finch, Chloebia gouldiae
• Munias and Silverbills, genus Lonchura
  • Madagascar Munia, Lonchura nana
    African Silverbill, Lonchura cantans
    Indian Silverbill, Lonchura malabarica
    Grey-headed Silverbill, Lonchura griseicapilla
    Bronze Mannikin, Lonchura cucullata
    Black-and-white Mannikin, Lonchura bicolor
    Brown-backed Mannikin, Lonchura nigriceps
    Magpie Mannikin, Lonchura fringilloides
    White-rumped Munia, Lonchura striata
    Javan Munia, Lonchura leucogastroides
    Dusky Munia, Lonchura fuscans
    Black-faced Munia, Lonchura molucca
    Black-throated Munia, Lonchura kelaarti
    Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata
    White-bellied Munia, Lonchura leucogastra
    Streak-headed Munia, Lonchura tristissima
    Black-headed Munia, Lonchura malacca
    Chestnut Munia, Lonchura atricapilla
    White-capped Munia, Lonchura ferruginosa
    Cream-bellied Munia, Lonchura pallidiventer
    Five-colored Munia, Lonchura quinticolor
    White-headed Munia, Lonchura maja
    Pale-headed Munia, Lonchura pallida
    Grand Munia, Lonchura grandis
    Grey-banded Munia, Lonchura vana
    Grey-crowned Munia, Lonchura nevermanni
    Hooded Munia, Lonchura spectabilis
    Grey-headed Munia, Lonchura caniceps
    Mottled Munia, Lonchura hunsteini
    New Ireland Munia, Lonchura forbesi
    New Hanover Munia, Lonchura nigerrima
    Yellow-rumped Munia, Lonchura flaviprymna
    Chestnut-breasted Munia, Lonchura castaneothorax
    Black Munia, Lonchura stygia
    Black-breasted Munia, Lonchura teerinki
    Snow Mountain Munia, Lonchura montana
    Alpine Munia, Lonchura monticola
    Bismarck Munia, Lonchura melaena
• Pictorella Munia, Heteromunia pectoralis
• Java Sparrows, genus Padda
  • Java Sparrow, Padda oryzivora
    Timor Dusky Sparrow, Padda fuscata
• Cut-throats, genus Amadina
  • Cut-throat finch, Amadina fasciata
    Red-headed Finch Amadina erythrocephala

External links

• Estrildid Finch videos on the Internet Bird Collection